Toyota GT-86 is first of 3 new sports cars

In a recent interview with Top Gear, Toyota GT-86 chief engineer Tetsuya Tada has confirmed that the new GT 86 is just the first of a series of three new sports cars set to be launched by Toyota. He also announced that the GT 86 is placed in the middle of the two future sports cars, with pricing obviously following in the same pattern.

These two new sports cars will not include the long-rumored successor of the Supra. When asked about this, Tada said that it could be possible for Toyota to also offer such a model, but right now, the engineers are pretty busy developing the other two Toyota sports cars. It usually takes about five years to develop a sports car from conceptualization to production, so the odds of seeing anything for the Supra before that are not good.

But back to the new sports cars... Will we be seeing successors for models like the Celica and the MR2/MR-S? Aside from these choices, there isn’t much left for Toyota to pick through and develop.

The "more mass market and cheaper" I'm guessing will be a FWD sport coupe using a Yaris or Corolla drivetrain. Toyota used to build a bunch of cars like that - Sera, Paseo, etc. I don't think they could make an MR2-type car at a lower cost than the 86. The last MR2 was already around the same cost (inflation adjusted) as the FR-S, using nothing but parts bin engineering.

The more upmarket car, who knows. A six cylinder Supra would of course be welcome. Personally, I'd love it if they built a sport sedan using the 86's platform.

I could imagine a less powerful GT-86/FRS/BRZ based roadster as the lower model. Upper model is a crapshoot that really depends on where their price point is. All this really tells us is not to expect a mid 30's pseudo muscle/sports-car.

Who knows if they will even bring back the Celica and/or MR-2. Could be just a couple brand new sports cars one under the GT-86 and one above possibly competing with Nissan's Z cars?

I don't think they'll make a Z-fighter unless they can get much better than the Z's 18/26 mpg. I wonder if they won't do a lightweight roadster since they don't offer any convertibles in the US. MR2 doesn't seem likely since it didn't have much of a splash last time. I bet the other car is some sore of Veloster-type car though.

I could imagine a less powerful GT-86/FRS/BRZ based roadster as the lower model. Upper model is a crapshoot that really depends on where their price point is. All this really tells us is not to expect a mid 30's pseudo muscle/sports-car.

An 86 convertible is already greenlit to be introduced in the next year or two and it will cost more, not less, than the hardtop.

I really wish the GT-86/FRS/BRZ was a hatch-back instead of a coupe...I know the latter is lighter and theoretically a better handler, but a hatch affords so much more utility. Heck, offering one along side the coupe would follow even MORE in the footsteps of the AE86.

But any new "affordable" sports car is good news, even if I am not in the market for one.

I really wish the GT-86/FRS/BRZ was a hatch-back instead of a coupe...I know the latter is lighter and theoretically a better handler, but a hatch affords so much more utility. Heck, offering one along side the coupe would follow even MORE in the footsteps of the AE86.

But any new "affordable" sports car is good news, even if I am not in the market for one.

In the wake of early sales success with the Scion FR-S, Toyota has elected to expand its partnership with Subaru to include cooperative engineering on the next Corolla, Camry, and RAV4.

“Once we drove the FR-S, we realized that our cars just suck,” said Toyota spokesman Joe “Moe” Tetherball. “Sure, our vehicles are reliable, but let’s face it, they’re as boring as whale ****. So we figured it was time to farm out more of the work to Subaru. After all, we own 17% of them, and they have to do whatever we say. Watch this: Hey, Subaru! Subaru! Come here and polish my shoes.”

As with the Scion FR-S, Tetherball says, Toyota will maintain a strong influence over all aspects of the new cars.

“Subaru’s engineering involvement on these new cars will be limited to the engine, transmission, driveline, body design, suspension, ride quality, driving dynamics, safety engineering, interior styling, electrical systems and software, and trim selection,” Tetherball explained. “But the over-arching concept, which was to build a car about yay big, and another smaller one and another one that’s sort of like an SUV, that was done entirely by Toyota personnel. Aside from the way the cars look, feel and drive, they will be Toyotas through and through.”

Autoblopnik asked for a comment from a Subaru representative, who promised to get back to us as soon as he had Toyota’s permission.